Football
Features
India’s Asian Cup bid signals burgeoning ambition to be a sporting power
All India Football Federation president Praful Patel says hosting the 2027 Asian Cup will hasten India's big ambitions in football and sport more generally.
International Women’s Cup unveils plan to become direct rival to Relevent’s Women’s ICC
SportBusiness speaks to John Reynal, the founder of Onside and FXE Futbol, about the strategy behind the IWC and the potential threat of legal action from Relevent Sports.
The Premier League waits for sun to shine on chilly UK media market
The Premier League usually auctions its domestic media rights halfway through its three-season cycle, but Covid has uprooted its plans. Callum McCarthy examines the likely bidders and the league's hopes for an uplift in the value of the rights.
James Fenn | NFL and Fifa show creative bravery in times of crisis
James Fenn, Strategist at Hill + Knowlton Strategies, explains what the NFL, Fifa and Marvel can show us about the ambition sport needs to come back better than ever.
VAR sponsorship included in Lega Serie A category revamp
Lega Serie A has been working to restructure its commercial and marketing operation over the last 12 months. In an exclusive interview, commercial director Michele Ciccarese outlines how sponsorship will take shape under the new structure.
Australia’s Marron Media, Sports Flick sign deal to distribute Nicaraguan league rights
Marron Media, the Australia-based sports media agency co-founded by former International Cricket Council media rights manager Lara Richards, has struck a five-year deal to distribute live rights to Nicaraguan…
Lega Serie A’s De Siervo, Dal Pino set for re-election
Luigi De Siervo and Paolo Dal Pino are set to be re-elected as chief executive and president of Lega Serie A, respectively, although the latter is set to decide next week whether he will continue for another…
Arena Sport picks up Ekstraklasa in Balkans as Planet Sport retains Croatia rights
The Ekstraklasa, the top tier of club football in Poland, has signed a new rights deal in the Balkan region with pay-television broadcaster Arena Sport
Fifa threatens World Cup ban for players taking part in ‘European Super League’
Fifa and world football’s six confederations have reacted to renewed reports about the creation of breakaway ‘European Super League’, issuing a joint statement warning that any player or club involved in su…
India, Iran, Qatar and Saudi Arabia set out their stalls for 2027 AFC Asian Cup
SportBusiness delves into the bid books of the contenders to host the 2027 Asian Cup to examine the thinking and the plans behind each entry. Tom King reports.
Miles Jacobson I Who are the winners and losers of Brexit’s impact on football?
Miles Jacobson, the man behind the Football Manager simulation, explains some of the likely effects of Brexit on the game and the transfer market in both the UK and Europe
Football Association’s Swarbrick looks for silver lining in “tough” 2021
Matthew Glendinning talks to Kathryn Swarbrick, the FA’s commercial and marketing director, about what is on the horizon for English football's governing body as it continues to develop its brand strategy amid the pandemic.
Simon Chadwick | Gulf détente opens door for sports collaboration
Sport was caught in the crossfire of the four-year feud between Qatar and Saudi Arabia that ended with an agreement between the Middle Eastern rivals this month. The peace deal raises intriguing prospects for cooperation and joint projects.
Press Release: The Vibes Brings Transfer Deadline Day, every day, to Malaysia with Kickstox
Malaysia's newest online news portal, TheVibes
Longs look to overcome short build-up time to make NWSL Kansas City immediate success
Chris and Angie Long tell SportBusiness about the opportunities and challenges of acquiring an NWSL expansion team in Kansas City just six months prior to the 2021 season.
DFL seeks to accelerate Virtual Bundesliga’s growth with ESL partnership
The DFL has entered into a partnership with esports giant ESL, with the long-term aim of making its Virtual Bundesliga a comparable prospect to its traditional football competitions. Adam Nelson speaks with the DFL's Andreas Heyden and ESL's Ralf Reichert.
2020 Globe Soccer Awards to be broadcast live by SportBusiness on December 27
The 2020 edition of the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards will be streamed live, here on sportbusiness.com, on December 27
EFL’s iFollow experiment unlikely to inform future media strategy, says commercial chief
Ben Wright, chief commercial officer for the English Football League, explains what the league has learnt from streaming more games on its iFollow service and how the league has targeted the fast-food sector to shore up revenues during this year's lockdown
Fans shortlist the finalists for the 2020 edition of the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards
Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Mohamed Salah are among the confirmed finalists for the upcoming Dubai Globe Soccer Awards taking place later this month on December 27, 2020
Chinese FA’s new leadership takes fresh aim at hosting Fifa World Cup
SportBusiness speaks to Louis Liu, secretary general of the Chinese Football Association, about China's ambitions to become a football superpower.
Bobbie Ttooulis | Making sure sports brands deliver on online sales
Bobbie Ttooulis, executive director of shipping and e-commerce delivery company, Global Freight Solutions, says sports merchandising needs careful management at peak sales periods, like kit launches and Christmas.
How MLS capitalized on shifting landscape to secure inaugural midweek primetime TV slot
At extremely short notice, MLS moved its Western Conference Semifinal game between Sporting Kansas City and Minnesota United back a day to gain coverage on the main Fox network. League executive Seth Bacon tells Bob Williams how the switch happened.
Der Klassiker provides springboard for Bundesliga’s global marketing efforts
The Bundesliga is locked in a battle with other major European leagues for the hearts, minds, and eyeballs of fans around the world. Kevin Roberts examines some of the league's marketing efforts alongside the Der Klassiker match between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
Murray Barnett | Five reasons why the future’s bright for women’s football
Murray Barnett, former chief commercial officer for World Rugby and head of partnerships for Formula 1, explains why women’s football is sure to recover the commercial momentum lost as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Stevenage FC tries to build on the success of innovative Burger King gaming partnership
Stevenage FC were pleasantly surprised when news arrived of Burger King's interest in becoming its main sponsor. SportBusiness speaks to Stevenage chief executive officer Alex Tunbridge to hear about the journey the club has been on since the association with Burger King began in July 2019.
Ben Cronin | Masters needs to come up with football reforms before they are forced upon him
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters is being assailed on multiple fronts as the UK government threatens a systematic review of football governance and clubs plot European competition reform.
Lockdown dampens Brentford FC’s new stadium celebrations
Brentford FC’s plans to open a brand new 17,250-capacity stadium this autumn have been thwarted by the Covid pandemic. Chief executive Jon Varney describes how the club is coping with the lockdown and its plans to compete on a more even commercial footing in the English Championship.